Upholstery molding



Jan. 29, 1935. HOWARD 1,989,276

UPHOLSTERY MOLDING Filed Dec. 10, 1929 Patented Jan. 29, 1935 1,989,276

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE UPHOLSTERY MOLDING Albert L. Howard, Brockton, Mesa, assignor to Hamilton-Wade Company, Brockton, Man, a corporation of Massachusetts Application December 10, 1929, Serial No. 413,039 4 Claims. (Cl. 155-184) This invention relates to upholstery molding or enclosed thereby and which is useful in affordfor use in connection with upholstery of all sorts, ing additional anchorage for the attaching nails. but particularly in the finish of automobiles These and other featuresof the invention will where it is desired to combine strength and conbe best understood and appreciated from the folvenience in laying with an attractive appearance. lowing description of preferred embodiments s In laying upholstery molding upon curved surthereof, selected for purposes of illustration and faces and in locations difllcult of access, it is, shown in the accompanying drawing, in which desirable that the molding should readily conform Fig. 1' is a fragmentary view in perspective to the surface to which it is to be attached and showing the rubber body strip molded about a should remain asinitlaily located without tendcore having reinforcing wires; 1o ing to spring out of position before the attaching Pig. 2 is a similar view showing in addition the nails can be driven to hold it permanently in covering; place. In one aspect, my invention comprises Fig. 3 is a similar view in inverted position; upholstery molding of novel construction possess- Fig. 4 is a similar view showing an attaching l5, ing this qualification in a marked degree. nail driven and temporarily deflecting the cover- Another desirable qualification of the molding of ing; my invention is that it lies close throughout its Fig. 5 is a similar view showing the position of entire-length of its supporting surface without an attaching nail in the attached molding;

. tendency to form bridges or loops between the Pig. 6 is a fragmentary view in perspective of a fill attachingnails. The appearance of the molding, modified form of molding; 2 moreover, is improved if the heads of the at- Fig. 'I is a similar view of a modified form of taching nails are concealed in the finished work. molding having an integral rubber core; and My invention contemplates, further, a novel Figs. 8, 9 and 10 are similar views of a molding molding so constructed as to facilitate blind nailhaving the covering attached in an alternative :5 ing without the necessity of picking the cover manner. of the molding to free the nail heads. From this As illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5, the molding comstandpoint, my invention consists in a molding prises a rubber body strip 12 having a flat lower comprising a rubber body strip having a ,longisurface and an upper surface substantially semitudinal channel formed in its upper surface and circular in contour and provided with a central 80 a fabric covering for the body strip bridging said longitudinally extending channel 14. The chanchannel and concealing the latter entirely in the nel14 is preferably symmetrically arranged in the finished molding. In attaching the molding, the body strip and has a curved bottom, and is of channel may be found with the point of the atsufllcient depth to contain the heads of the attaehing nail and when the latter is driven the taching nails. The body strip 12 is molded encovering is temporarily carried down into the tirely about a wide flat core 18, in which are em- 35 channel but it is tensioned sufllciently upon the bedded two reinforcing wires 18 arranged symsurface of the molding to cause the head of the metrically in the core in parallel relation and attaching nail to pull through the covering with spaced from each other'so as to lie outside the little or no assistance, so that the molding repath of the attaching nails to, be driven in the 40 assumes its original contour and the covering channel 14. The core 16 may be of any flexible 40 presents no indication that an attaching nail non-resilient material suitable to aflord flrm anhas been driven through it. chorage for the attaching nails and to maintain In order to impart to the molding the desirwhatever position may be imparted to the moldable qualities above mentioned in respect to coning as a whole in laying 'the same. The reinforcvenience in laying and in remaining flat being wires 18 are preferably also flexible and non- 45 tween attaching nails, I embed within the body resilient as, for example, untempered steel. of the molding a flexible metallic reinforcement The molding is completed by a covering 20 of such as a wire, preferably of untempered steel, textile material which encases the rubber body which will readily take any curvature imparted strip 12, conforming to the general contour there- 59 to the molding as a whole and tend to maintain of and bridging the channel 14 so as to conceal the molding flat between such nails. The reinthe latter completely. The edges of the covering forcing wire may be embodied directly in the 20 are brought together on the lower face of the rubber body portion of the molding or in a core of molding, as shown in Fig. 3, and are secured in flexible non-resilient material which may be arplace in any desired manner, as by a seam 22. ranged in coextensive relation with the body strip The covering is thus secured tightly and smoothly on in place and with a sufiicient tension to cause it always to bridge the channel 14 without showing a trace of the walls of the channel.

In attaching the molding, the location of the channel may be easily found by the point of the attaching nail 24 and the latter is then driven vertically through the rubber body strip 12 and the core 16, between the wires 18 and into the surface on which the molding is to be attached. In this operation the covering 20 is temporarily carried down into the channel 14, which is also temporarily deformed as indicated in Fig. 4. When the attaching nail has been completely driven, however, the tension of the covering 20 and the resilient action of the body strip 12 is suflicient to draw the tapering head of the nail 24 entirely through the material of the covering. The molding thereupon reassumes its original condition, as-shown in Fig. 5, with the covering 20 smoothly concealing the channel and the head of the attaching nailv which is located within it. It will be apparent that the reinforcing wires 18 andlthe core supply an element of strength and stiffness to the complete molding which is extremely effective in holding it flat upon the surface to which it is attached and preventing bulging or looseness between the attaching nails.

In Fig; 6 is illustrated an alternative form of molding in which the core 66 with the reinforcing wires 68 is not embedded in the body strip 62 but arranged to underlie it and is secured thereto by a line of stitching 67 located in the bottom of the channel 64. The covering 69 smoothly encases the core and rubber strip and is secured in place with its edges beneath the core by stitching, cement or otherwise. The stitching 6'7 in no ways interferes with the driving of the attaching nails and the construction illustrated presents substantially all the advantages of the form of molding Just described.

In Fig. 7 is illustrated another alternative form of molding, in which the core or filler comprises an integral body strip 72 of rubber having a flat lower surface and an upper surface of semicircular contour in which is formed a longitudinally extending channel 74. Reinforcing wires 78 are embedded in the body strip 72, being located in spaced relation symmetrically and out of line with the channel 74. The covering '79 is secured smoothly upon the body strip '72, its edges being brought together on the lower surface thereof and secured either by stitching or by cement.

In Figs. 8, 9 and 10 is illustrated an upholstery molding similar to that shown in Fig. 7 but having its covering secured in a different manner. In this form of molding the rubber body strip 82 is provided in its upper surface with a channel 84 and in its lower surface with a wide fiat channel located symmetrically beneath the channel 84. Reinforcing wires 88 are provided in the body strip 82. The covering 89 is located upon the molding with one edge inserted in the flat channel in the lower face of the body strip and this edge is secured in place by a line of stitching 87 placed in the channel 84 and extending through the body of the strip 82. The material of the covering is then wrapped around the body strip 82 and its unsecured edge lapped over the stitched edge, butting against the shoulder formed in the covering at the edge of the shallow channel and forming a flat bottom for the molding. It will be apparent that in laying this molding the attaching nail 24 driven in the channel will pass through both edges of the covering, thus holding it in place with great security.

While the body strip has been referred to in the foregoing description as a rubber strip, it will be apparent that any rubber compound or other resilient material would serve as well and would be within the scope of the invention. Various materials also may be used in making up the core 16, it being essential only that this should be flexible and non-resilient in its characteristics and afford satisfactory anchorage for the attaching nails. The core may be made of molded paper pulp or of a close-braided paper twine with good advantage.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. Upholstery molding comprising a rubber body strip having a channel in its upper surface, a flexible non-resilient core coextensive with said body strip and having reinforcing wires therein, and a textile covering enclosing both the body strip and core and fastened so as to bridge said channel at all times and provide a free space beneath the covering for the head of a fastening.

2. Upholstery molding comprising a flexible non-resilient core having a reinforcing wire therein, a rubber body strip molded about the surfaces of said core, enclosing the same and having a channel in its upper surface, and a textile covering encasing the body strip and secured in position to bridge the channel.

3. Upholstery molding comprising a flat, flexible non-resilient core having a pair of reinforcing wires embedded therein in parallel spaced relation, 8. rubber body strip molded about said core with a thick transversely curved portion above the core in which is formed a longitudinal channel, and a textile covering fitting about said body strip, bridging the'channel and having its edges connected beneath the molding.

4. In an upholstery mclding, 'a flexible non- ALBERT L. HOWARD. 

